Solar panels for Dutch refrigerated haulier18 March 2021
Thermo King has provided ThermoLite solar panels on 76 new refrigerated trailers for Dutch logistics provider ECS, which each promise to save 1,000 litres of fuel per trailer per year.
“Thermo King ThermoLite solar panels provide a sustainable power management solution for reefer units, increasing the battery life while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,” said Samer Hawat, area sales and service manager Belgium and Luxembourg at Thermo King.
Before committing, ECS performed a six months field test, monitoring four Thermo King refrigerated trailers with ThermoLite solar panels on four different routes across Europe. The Thermo King TracKing system allowed for remote tracking of battery charge levels and fuel consumption. ECS compared the results with the performance of four other units in their fleet, on similar routes but without the solar panel. The field trial proved that the installation of ThermoLite™ solar panels can allow ECS to save even 1 000 litres of fuel per year, on one trailer unit.
Following the test, ECS decided to install the panels on their 76 new refrigerated trailer box vans. ECS also calculated that the installation of the solar panels will reduce their CO2 emissions by 2,000 tons in 10 years.
ThermoLite solar panels ensure that the refrigeration unit’s battery remains continuously charged, extending the battery life and preventing its deterioration. By reducing the operation hours of the unit’s engine, the solar panels also contribute to extending the maintenance intervals. Paired with telematics, they allow the fleet managers to be in constant contact with their trailers and access critical unit data at any time to ensure that the load is protected and the unit is running efficiently.
Author
Transport Engineer
Related Companies
Thermo-King (Europe)
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